centering

one must imagine
all these
words
nicely centered
on the page

over there, more ->

not so much
crowded
to the left

as is the case
now

You see
I haven't a clue
and don't
much
care to

oh I care somewhat
but I think
it has to do
with tabulation
or margins, margarines,
not butter

it's late...

that's the stuff
I never learned
in class --
I was daydreaming
or some such
but then the machine
I learned to type on
was a Machine
with mechanical thingeys
to change
I got quite quick
at that
zip- tab change
and slam the carriage
back again

now everything
is digital
and lives
in
cyberspace

but centering
is still important
(if only I
knew how)
centering may be
even more important
now

for without
the center
of the circle
Where would we be?
-Believing in politics,
pie in the sky promises,
and the nightly news.
Now I'm no conspiracy nut,
But!
It does seem quite coincidental
when
the little green men
and the men in black
are seen having tea
with Alice
and that damn disappearing
cat
Cheshire,
I believe.

oh god-
sometimes these poems
do wander on

and that brings us
right back
to centering

you see  

It's Late

It's late
and
getting later

I've promised myself
repeatedly
to
stop

--go to bed
--get ready for tomorrow

lots to do
lots to do

but then i think
this moment
     is so precious
and
     will never come
again

I wonder if
all our planning
and worrying
will be worth it
or if
zen surfing
is what we
should have done

It's late
and getting
latter

I'm old
and getting
older

What would I do
If I had a million dollars
(-watched a program about
a lottery winner-)
I'd do just what I'm doing
-but much more elegantly, of course,
and on a much newer computer.

I'd practice
Zen surfing
through life
even more intently
Because I'd have the time
--maybe then-- I should find more time
for that now

for Zen surfing
takes no time
it is
     -as we are

plus
there'd be
all that fuss
about tickets and numbers
and such

lots of interviews
and wondering
what to do
with all that money
all that stuff

I'd be so busy buying things
that my Zen
might fly away

probably better not to be
so lucky anyway

maybe I'll buy
a ticket or two
tomorrow

one thing I never do
is listen
to the good advise
I give myself

well i do listen...

--but this could
be a sign...

-oh, give it a rest
and get to bed
with dreams of sugarplums
dancing in your head-

particularly uninspired

i am feeling
particularly uninspired
today...

hopefully
I can reach inside
deep down into
     depths "unplumbed"
and find something
to be happy
about

the backache
has left...
I hesitate to celebrate...
'lest it return,
-the chiropractor is
     richer,
and I do give thanks
that
I can
move again

the money situation
will be anemic
     for awhile-
I have to go get
     blood drawn-
but
not today

watching part of
an episode
of "hoarders"
I am reminded
That I need
to clean my house.

there is a dance
tonight
at which
my x
will be on stage
and on "point"
maybe I can
look forward to
the drama
of that

it will be
interesting
-if nothing else

there is
the coffee house
down the street-
this may be a day
for medicinal
hash-browns,
eggs,
and coffee

nothing seems
to cheer me up
like not having
to cook
in the morning

-I envision myself
as Martha Stewart,
-energetic
and capable
-making
crafty things
in matching colors
-but don't they
put you in jail for that?
One had better be careful
not to be too
crafty...

I give thanks
-that I am not
too crafty-
-that I have, thus far,
stayed
out of jail.
That, in itself,
is a cheery enough
thought
to get this day
started
 

 

ice cream

how do i justify
     ice cream
on a Sunday afternoon

how do I justify
     ice cream
when i'm trying to lose
     weight

what has happened
     lately
which would give me
     a great excuse

has there been
     great tragedy
have I been especially
     good

no to both
the above.
one good,
one, not so much

I did wash the dishes
but I'm not sure
that counts
enough
(but there were
an awfully lot
of dishes)

I could just
rebel
against my better judgement
throw caution
     to the winds
and cholesterol...
-frozen yogurt-
-not sooooo bad-

riding the bike
to get it
-counts as exercise-

the lecture today at
"new age" church
was about
-not
thinking too much

nothing was said about
ice cream...

that was then, this is now

oh yea of little faith
I cried over 1500$ plumbing bill
then that turned into 11,000$ or so
so now I am in debt
     for awhile
this life
is not for sissies

I must not despair
things could be worse
-a lot worse
-i suppose...

the day dawns
with overcast
-my neighbor and I
     commiserate
-we're glad to see the return
of our natural fog

we were having
too much sunshine
-not used to it here-

I drive to church
-early
-thinking
this town would be a good place
-for vampires
-something that would like
the fog
the general feeling
of hiding from
the sun.

it's by the coast
it's rarely warm
it's usually damp
we lose the trick
of being warm

sunshine and heat
seem unnatural

vampires,
plumbers,
both have something in common
-the sucking sound
of blood
of money
-

-plumbing-

oh the sweet
     gurgling
          sound
of a drain
     well done

We have returned
     to civilization
We have returned
     to the way
Things
     ought
          to be . . .

It may not
     seem like
          much
     to you
But the large bucket
     of water
          in the yard
Got old fast-
Especially
     as it has been
          overcast-

Now, -that
     most civilized
          of things-
The indoor
     shower-
With the soap
     and shampoo-
Is once again
     operative.

-although now
    the bank account
    and the credit card
    suffer mightily

It's like
     "whack-a-mole"
          this life

One thing
     and another
And a $1,500.
     pipe

the "special" day...

It is the eve
of the birthday
I always think
I should have
done something
by now...
    Accomplished 
    some wonderful 
    Accomplishment

where did i ever get 
such an idea 
it only makes me 
crazy 
only makes me 
sad 


I need to be more 
zen about it 
-need to stop listening 
to the "social media" 
or the "unsocial media" 


now I'm lost in fonts and sizes 
and I can't get back 


so much for technology 
or my lack of understanding 
of it 


let's see... 
what's my goal 
for the year ahead 


some say we should have goals 
many and various and daunting 
-giving us a reason to get up 
     in the morning 
-or a reason 
     to stay in bed 


some say we should have no goals 
-that the earth is only a dream 
-and our dreams
     merely a misunderstanding 
of the id, the ego 
     and the Iliad


definitely, for the year ahead, 
I should understand fonts and sizes
and learn how to spell definitely, 
definitely!


The only person I know 
with really definite goals 
has the most migraines 
maybe that's the true measure 
of success 
in this world 
the most migraines 
the most pain killers 
and the longest time 
spent 
in a darkened room 
--wins!


you can see 
I'm not real jazzed 
about 
"my special day"


some cultures 
don't celebrate birthdays 
at all 


maybe I 
could move there